Method of molding hollow concrete blocks



Feb. 2l, 1950 M. v. cuYPERs METHOD OF MOLDING HOLLOW CONCRETE BLOCKS Filed Feb. l2, 1947 Patented Feb. 21, 1950 MErnoD oF MOLDING HoLoW :sommare BLOCKS Michael vande Cuypers, New York, N. Y.

Application February 12, 1947,'seria1 No. 728,165

(c1. :c5-15m 8 Claims.

l Y 'This v`invitation relates to a method of manujfacturing concrete blocks and similar concrete articles, and has for `its object the provision cia ltlolltinuoi-is method by which the blocks may y speedily and leconomically made.

The invention also contemplates for one of its objects, the'provision of a novel type of concrete block provided with vdiagonally extending or angular reinforcing webs, resulting in a block of lightness, strength and durability and with the ,use'age -of la minimum lof material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of making blocks of this character, lwherein the concrete 'for the formation-of vthe .blocks is sprayed under pressure on a moving 4conveyor and about suitable forming elements, whereby the method thus lemployed for the formation of the blocks is continuous and uninterrup'ted and the blocks can be produced speedily and very economically.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a travelling conveyor or belt constituting a moving form yadjacent `'to which a vplurality vof vspaced cement guns or sprayers yare operated to 'thereby direct the concrete in more or less fluid form upon the belt and around spaclng elements -or form parts placed upon the belt in proper sequence and as required to produce the blocks of requisite fforrn and shape, so thaty at vthe end Aof ltravel of the belt for yconveyon-the 'through a conveyor vconstructed in accordance y.

with the invention, and showing lthe manner in lwhicheoncrete blocks are formed thereon; Fig. :2 'isa sectional view on the line 2--2 oil'ig. l, lookling :inthe direction of the arrows, and Fig. 3 `is a 'perspective view of a T'c'oncrete block 'constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, 4I indicates a continuously-moving travelling belt or similar conveying means proceeding in lthe direction of the arrows 'and upon which the concrete blocks, and example of which is shown at 2 in Fig. 2, 'are made. The lbelt Aof conveyor I may be moved by any known means and the same is shown as being supported by a plurality of idle rollers '3.

' Extending 'along the `sides of the belt 'or other v conveyor I are the side form members 3a and 4 which are vertically disposed walls or boards and which serve to cooperate with the belt in the formation of a trough-shaped form, and which further constitute retaining walls which serve to 55 conne the concrete deposited on the belt, between them. These retaining walls .3a 1and I may 'be stationary or may be arranged for "movement along with the conveyor belt 1I.

The first step in carrying out vthe improved method of manufacturing concrete blocks of the character shown a2, consists in depositing an initial 4layer 5 of lconcrete fon the travelling belt I sby means oi one 'or more concrete 'guns or nozzles indicated `at 6. These guns or nozzles may, if more than one is required at this station, be arranged in a line extending transversely of the belt l or in a group located .above the belt so 'that the uid, or nearly fluid, concrete sprayed therefrom, as Aindicated at 1., will be directed downwardly lfrom the nozzles and be deposited on the belt vand between the walls 3a Aand il in a Asubstantially uniform layer 5, :subsequently forming one 'of 'the walls or faces of the concrete block, yas clearly seen iin Fig. '2.

The belt I carrying .the :deposited concrete layer 5, proceeds to the 4next station, indicated 'at 8, wher-eene or more :concrete guns .or nozzles directs a second Ylayer of concrete `9 upon the conveyor. It will be observed however, that between the :concrete-depositing stations vIi fand 8, form pieces -'II yare vrplaced transversely Aacross the `belt and on top of the concrete layer 5. These y'form .pieces I.l may 'be deposited either manually or by suitable mechanism and .are ysubstantially triangular cross-sectional shape :in order to 'form the passages I2 4of similar shape through the block. It will thus be observed that when fthe layer 9 is deposited by the Aguns or ynozzles at station A8, the layer `will thus be deposited on vtop of the form lpieces lil.A The form ipieces .II :and

'-I`3, as wel-l `as the face of :the belt .I vare l:suitably stantially square in cross-,sectional 'shape and they thus result in the formation of the .central pas sages t4 through fthe' block.

" The conveyor then carries the `deposited ,ma-

't'erials, 'including the form pieces H .and I3 the next "filling station, indicated fat i6, 'where place. This last set o'f form pieces I9 produces the passages indicated at I8 through the block. After the last-mentioned form pieces I9 are placed in position, a nal layer of concrete, indicated at 20 is deposited by one or more concrete guns or spray nozzles at station 2|, upon top of the form pieces I9, this last layer of concrete being that which constitutes the second wall or facing 22 of the block 2.

To separate the several layers of concrete so deposited on the belt into blocks of required length, separators are provided, the same being shown at 23 in Fig. 1. separators consist of blades or fins projecting from certain of the form pieces I3 and tending to interrupt the continuity of the facing layers 20 and 5 as well as interrupting the continuity of the layers 9 and I1. Thus, by the placement of the form pieces I3 provided with the separators 23, at the desired points in the deposited concrete, the formed blocks 2 of required length will be produced. vl A block formed by the method above described is shown in Fig. 2 wherein it will be noted that the same is provided with the two parallel facing webs or walls 5 and 22, connected by the diagonally extending truss webs 24. This block be- ;ca'use of its internal truss-work, is of exceptional strength, ,It will be noted that atv its opposite ends, the block is V-shaped or is formed with the notches 26 in which the mortar can engage thus aiding greatly in-bonding blocks of this character together in any wall or building structure.

In describing the method by which the blocks are made, I have herein described al block of certain configuration, namely, that shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the method of manufacture is `not limited to that particular block, as the formation of many different types of block by the method disclosed is primarily dependent upon the placement and shape of the inserts or form pieces. Thus, the block herein described is merely illustrative of one form of block which can be made and it will be obvious lthat other forms are possible andare considered as within the scope of the invention. The concrete 'guns or spray nozzles employed :at the stations 6, 8, I6 and 2| may be those conventionally employed for the spraying of concrete in substantially liquid form, or they may be of other construction and by means of which the liquid concrete miX is forcibly ejected under pressure and as a result is firmly compacted upon the surface against which it is sprayed. The re- 'sult of such deposit of the concrete is to secure blocks of verysatisfactory density and of extra- -crete layers and removing the form pieces to thereby providepassages extending through the resultant, concrete blocks.

2. In the method of making hollow concrete blocks, the step of spraying a layer of concrete on the surface of a travelling conveyor, in placing inserts on top of said layer, and in spraying a In the form shown, these` 4 second layer of concrete on top of the inserts and thereafter removing the inserts.

3. In a method of making hollow concrete blocks as provided for in claim 2, including providing separating elements on the inserts to thereby interrupt the continuity of the layers of concrete deposited on the conveyor.

4. In the method of making hollow concrete blocks, the step of spraying a layer of concrete on a travelling conveyor, placing a plurality of form pieces' across the conveyor on top of the layer of concrete, spraying a second layer of concrete on top ofthe form pieces, placing a second set of form pieces on top of the second layer of concrete and intermediate of the first set of form pieces, spraying a third layer of concrete on top of thev second set of form pieces, placing a third set of form pieces on top of the third layer of concrete, and spraying a nal layer of concrete on top'of the third set of form pieces.

5. In the method of making hollow concrete blocks, the step of spraying a relatively flat and even layer of concrete upon the flat surface of a travelling conveyor, placing a plurality of form pieces in spaced relation across the conveyor and on top lof the layer of concrete, spraying a second layer `of concrete on top of the form pieces to followthe shape of said form pieces, depositing a second set of form pieces on top of the second layer of concrete and placing the last-mentioned form piecesintermediate of the first set, depositing a third layer of concrete on the conveyor on top of the last-mentioned set of form pieces, placing a final set of form pieces with their outer surfaces parallel to the upper face of the conveyor on top of the third layer of concrete, and depositing a final layer of concrete on top of the last-mentioned set of form pieces, the final layer of concrete being deposited to form a layer substantially parallel to the rst layer deposited on the conveyor.

6. In a method as provided for in claim 5, wherein the first and last layers of concrete are deposited so that the same lie substantially parallel, and the second and third layers of concrete are angularly disposed to thereby form diagonally-extending webs in the resultant concrete block.

7. In the method of making a hollow concrete block, the steps of spraying successive layers of concrete at spaced-apart spraying stations on a travelling conveyor and depositing transversely extending form pieces on the conveyor between the stations at which the successive layers are sprayed.

8. In the method of making hollow concrete blocks,-the steps of spraying successive layers of concrete on a travelling conveyor, depositing form pieces across the conveyor and between -the layersyand in providing separating means by which outer layers of the concrete so sprayed are interrupted.

MICHAEL VANDE CUYPERS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Ryan July 1'7, 1900 Number 

